^^'6 , 



r? 



\jy'i,'r w^i. 



[l-'rom Vtica Morning Herald, December 29, 1890.] 

MARINUS WILLETT. 



CONCLUSION OF JUDGE WAGERS 
HISTORY. 



Reatl Before (lie Oneida Historical 
Society Liast Evening^. 



The monthly meeting" of the Oneida 
Historical society was held in the library 
building- last evening. A list of dona- 
tions was reported by Dr. M. M. Bagg, 
and the usual vote of thanks to the donors 
was passed. 

llev. D. W. Bigelow of the committee 
on addresses reported that Professor B. 
S. Terry of Colgate university would de- 
liver the address at the annual meeting of 
the societj', January 13. 

After~the routine business of the meet- 
ing had been transacted the society ad- 
journed to the Buttertield house parlors, 
because there was no lire in the library 
building. 

Hon. D. E. Wager of Rome continued 
his narrative of the life of Colonel 
Mariuus Willett, of which the tirst part 
was read at the last meeting of the so- 
cietj. In the year 1781, he said, there 
Avere 24 forts between Schnuectady ;iud 
Fort Daytoi', now Herkimer village, in 
which the inhabitants of the valley sought 
refuge when pressed by the enemy or 
otherwise threatened with danger. It was 
in the spring of that year that Brant and 
his Indians, while prowling around Fort 
Stanwix, carried off some 80 of the garri- 
son of that fort. The country was suffei"- 
ing from a lack of provisions. In 
the midst of dee[) gloom Colonel 
Willett consented to tak<; command 
of the northwestern frontier and make 



s headquarters in tlie ^lohaAvk valley, 
ill the forepart of 17S1 lie established 

mself at Cauajoharie, where he had 120 
at Fort Herkimer he had 20 more; 
at Balston .'^ome 30 and at Catskill 20; 
ii other parts of the yalley were less thau 
1 1)0 more. Tlie countiy he was to defend 
was all of New York" Avest of Albany 
cjiunty. He was not left long without 
(•X'upatiou. 

The speaker then told of a battle be- 
tween a force of about 400 men under 
(laptaiu John Doxtader, a bitter tory, 
iind Colonel AVMUett's forces near Corry- 
tivvn, a small settlement northeast of 
\Hi5it is now the town of Root. Montgom- 
dry countj'. After a sharp tiglit of two 
Hours the enemy fled, Colonel Willett fol- 
loAviug- vigorously in pursuit. He lost 
live men and the enemy lost 40. The com- 
mon council of Albany on July \{i passed 
complimentary resolutions in favor of 
Colonel Willett and his officers and men, 
and Aoted to Colonel AVillett the freedom 
of that city. The battle took place July 
10, 1781, and has passed into history as 
"the battle of Siiaron."' Its centennial 
Avas observed in July, 1881, by the inhab- 
itants of that part of the state. 
reason of the promptness ami 

t'OlOUCl ^VUlelt'.D inovtJUi-olitf ;i!i 

in battle, and his seeming- ubi'ii'.:!\ iluit 
the Indians had a dread and fea^ uf him; 
they called him "the devil." 

Three months afterward, Avlien liie 
farmers liad gathered in their croi)s. ou 
the forenoon of AVodnesday, October 24,. 
a hostile force of 700 men, composed of 
British, Indians and torie.s, under the- 
lommand of Majors Ross and Walter H. 
liutler, appeared in Schoharie county, 
making its Avay tOAvard CorrytOAvn. The 
expedil^ion was organized at Bucks, noAV 
Carleton Island, in the St. LaAvrence, and 
thence it proceeded across Lake Ontario to 
Oswego, thence by tiie Avater route to 
Oneida lake as far as Chittenaugo creek. 
At that point the boats were secreted, 
and the men struck acro.«!S the country 
thro' Onondaga, Madison and Otsego 



;Jb5Y\ 




couuties to the vicinity of Schoharie. avI ere 
"Mere they first discovered. Corrytowu vas 
l)luudered, aud the baud proceeded to the 
Mohawk aud followed it dowu ou the 
south side to Fort Hunter. It after- 
wards crossed to the uortlurly 
Side of the Mohawk, east of Tribes IJilJ, 
aud b.y a circuitous route went to Johus- 
town. The track of the eilemy vas 
marked by the murder or capture of Mie 
inhabitauts, aud pluuder aud destructiou 
of property Colouel AVillctt mustei'ed 
all his spare forces aud started iu pursuit 
with 41G uieu. Several skirmishes were 
had. after which the eueuiy fled to West 
Canada creek, which they crossed at a 
poiut about Ave uiiles up the stream 
from Gang- or Hinckley's Mills. At that 
i:)oiut the stream is fordable for tvfo or 
three miles. It is kuowu by souie as 
"Hess' rifts," aud by some as "Butler's 
ford." There the pursuit was abaudoued. 
Iu au eugagemeut at the ford Major But- 
ler, the worst hated tory of the region, 
yvas shot dead. The expedition closed 
the war in the valley of the Mohawk for 
that year. 

For the year 1782 Colouel Willett re- 
mained at his headquarters ou the Mo- 
hawk, but little of uote occurring. At 
the close of the year he had 400 state 
troops. Having prepared winter barracks 
for his men. inoculated mauv of them for 
small pox aud built a log hut for himself, 
Colouel Willett set out iu I>uveail)er lur 
Albany. At that time Geueral Washiug- 
ton's headquarters were at Newbui-g, aud 
there Colonel Willett weut to paj^ his 
respects to the commauder-in-chief. He 
was then asked to lead a secret expeditiou 
against Oswego. He accepted the invita- 
tion, but iu tlie course of the expeditiou, 
news of peace was received. After Colo- 
nel Willett returned to his headquarters 
he went to Albany aud there heard the 
glorious news proclaimed to the rejoicing 
inhabitants of that town by the town 
clerk at the city hall. 

Colonel AVillett was elected to the as- 
sembly from New York in 1783, and the 
next year he was appointed sheriff of that 
covinty for three years. In 1790 he was 
appointed by President Washington com- 
missioner to the Creek Indians on a peace 



mission, iu which he was successful. In 
1791 he was again appointed sheriff for </ 
New York, aud held the office for four / 
years. In 1792 he ^\as elected one of the 
directors of the Western Inland Lock 
Navigation canal, the object being inter- 
nal improvements, to connect the waters 
of the Hudson with Lakes George and 
Cliamplain, and those of the jNtohawk 
witli Wood creek at Rome. In 1807 he 
was appointed mayor of Ncav York iu 
])lace of DeWitt Clinton. In the war of 
1812, au iunnensely large pid)lic Avar 
meetiug was held at' New York, at which 
Colouel Willett made a brief but telling 
speech, and the pithy discourse from a 
man nearly 75 years old, whose services ^> 
in behalf of his countrj^ were well known, 
was applauded to tlie very echo. , 

In the Greek revolution of 1823 Colonel 
AVillett warmly sympathized with the op- 
pressed iu that country. He was a chair- 
man of a comiuittee appointed to aid the ;^ 
Greeks in their struggle for independence. 

The visit of Lafayette to America iu ii^ 

1824 was then described by Judge Wager, 'f 

aud Lafayette's meetiug with Colonel 
W^illett, ills old friend. He also read 
several letters written to Colouel Willett 
by Lafayette, showing their intimate ac- 
quaintance. I^afayette's tour of the Mo- 
hawk valley iu 1825 was next narrated. 
Colouel A\illett owned 700 acres of land 
iu Westmoreland, 2,000 acres in Steubeu, 
^;- >villetis little patent,^') a lialf of 1,500 
other acres iu Steubeu, and also lands in 
Bayard's township aud the 20-towuship 
tract in Chenango county. 

Colonel AYillett's beautiful liomestead 
in what is now the thirteenth 
ward of New York was described. 

Colouel Willett was three times mar- 
ried. First in April, 1760, to Mary Pease, 
by whom he had one son, who l)ecame a 
noted surgeon iu the LTnited States 
army, and who died unmarried. Unto 
the second marriage no children were 
born. The third wife was Margaretta 
Barcker, married not far from 1800; bj'- 
her he had four children; one sou, now 
87 years old, lives iu Jersey City, a re- 
tired divine of the M. E. chlu'ch. 
Edward, the other sou, is a lawyer, now 
86 years old, and resides at Brook Green, 



IN EXCHANGE 
JAN 5 - 1916 



■S. C. The widow of Colonel AVillett died 
in 1S(J7 at the age of 96. 

Ou Sunday, August 22, 1830, the fifty- 
third anniversary of the abandonment of 
the siege of Fort Stanwix, Colonel Wil- 
lett passed peacefully away — 22 days past 
his 90th birtliday. llis death cast deep 
gloom over the city. Many public bodies 
passed suitable resolutions and the public 
journals of the day paid handsome 
tributes to his memory. Other heroes of 
the revolution may stand out more promi- 
nently on the pages of recorded history; 
other'names may be perpetuated in poetry 
and song, but none who lived in the try- 
ing and troublous times of Colonel Willett 



more faithfully or efficiently than he per- 
formed the important work assigned to 
him, which in the result worked out the 
grand problem of his country's destiny. 
He was a fearless leader and an enthu- 
siastic patriot, a worthy citizen and an un- 
compromising friend of the rights of 
men. 

A resolution of thanks to Judge Wager 
was offered by Henry Hurlburt, and 
unanimously adopted. The resolution 
also provided for the publication of the 
entire narrative of Colonel Willett's life, 
in pamphlet form. The resolutions were 
seconded by Rev. D. Ballon, who spoke 
appreciatively of the address. Adjourned. 



